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Re: BIAFF 2018

Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 6:34 pm
by Michael Slowe
Howard-Smith, only since 2008? I don't think I've missed one since the old Westminster days, first one in about 1976 I think. But then I'm very very old (so my children tell me).

Re: BIAFF 2018

Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:59 pm
by Willy
My wife and I have decided not to come. We didn't come last year either because BIAFF didn't take place the second weekend of April which was unusal. That's why I went to Romney Marsh in Kent. I had promised English friends to film a dance group on St. George's Day.

Harrogate
Why not Harrogate? Because it is too far. I hesitated, but I hate driving the car on busy roads and it is not easy to get there by train. I spent one night in the Cairn Hotel at Harrogate last year when I was on my way to Scotland. Luckily my old friend was willing to drive his fast car. From my house to Calais is about 250 kilometres. From London to Harrogate is about 700 kilometres. And then there is still the ferry crossing Calais-Dover.

Carpet of snow
In November or December David Newman asked me to be a final judge. That was quite an honour, but I thought it was wise not to do this. In Belgium there are snowstorms at this moment, and I think it is even worse in Yorkshire. I watched the BBC last night. The judging is now in February I remember. The UK is covered by a carpet of snow, even in the South East.

Beautiful Yorkshire Dales
Nevertheless I hope I will meet some IAC friends on other occasions this year. SERIAC for instance. Tonbridge is not far from us. This year there will be no movie made by me at BIAFF. I don't feel happy with this... I have made three movies, but they are not good enough to show at BIAFF. Actually I have made them for a film gala that is organized by my own club. It will take place in October. If I would live in the UK I would attend BIAFF. That's for sure! In the first place to enjoy the films, but also to make a daytrip to the magnificent Yorkshire Dales that I know so well. Five-six years ago I made the film "Say Wensleydale Cheese, Please!" I visited the Yorkshire Dales three or four times to make that film. Malham is my favourite place to spend the night in that beautiful part of England. My clubmates Werner 1 and 2 accompanied me. I also attended BIAFF at Harrogate twice. I remember that last time my films "Bakri" and "I am who I am" were screened on Saturday, but there were many people in the mini-cinemas. And the hotel was fabulous. Vera and I Always enjoyed the Victorian atmosphere of the Cairn Hotel. Also last year on our trip to Scotland. I am sure BIAFF will be a success again in April.

Re: BIAFF 2018

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 3:20 pm
by ned c
Hi Michael. A separate category for students is desirable because they often have access to equipment and technology not available to most amateurs; they also have the advantage of time and skilled student crews. Some amateurs will see film students as a threat to the fairness of the general competition. To attract student entries; then the awards should be valuable; "cash for college" a good starting place. I would also suggest that judging student entries be by a panel of academics. How to attract student entries? Therein lies the question of promoting BIAFF generally as well as specifically. A marketing plan is needed but that means yet another dedicated volunteer!

See you at Harrogate.

ned c

Re: BIAFF 2018

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 6:42 pm
by Michael Slowe
Ned, we'll continue this discussion over the meal on the BIAFF Saturday evening, but I must disagree with you profoundly. Of course student films will provide stiff competition to amateurs, surely that's what we want and it would enhance the stature of the BIAFF competition. Fencing them off in a separate enclosure would be quite the wrong thing in my opinion. Anyway, your suggestion that professional kit would ensure better films is nonsense, we all have access to the kit, it's the minds behind the kit that make the films.

Re: BIAFF 2018

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 2:05 pm
by Peter Copestake
I've only just caught up with this although it's been going for months.
Michael said - Anyway, your suggestion that professional kit would ensure better films is nonsense, we all have access to the kit, it's the minds behind the kit that make the films.
I'm just asking the question generally not aiming it at Michael - Doesn't the same apply to the viewing equipment? Do the judges have eye and hearing tests?
I ask because on my 39" TV I can only see the difference between HD and SD rarely. I'll probably accept the offer of a cataract op later this year and I use hearing aids but I can recognise poor editing, for example and because my hearing isn't perfect, poor sound balance and wind-in-microphone noise is perhaps even more distracting now.
The expense of going to festivals for some of you is way beyond what I would think reasonable use of money - you must be VERY committed. (Harrogate is only an hour away from here but there are personal reasons for not going.)

Re: BIAFF 2018

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 4:47 pm
by ned c
Equipment does not make better films, I am well aware of that; however my early experience of mixing student and general entry films was when I was first involved with AMPS. The BEST student entries were almost always made to a much higher standard than the general entries, by this I mean that the technical quality and the story telling ability were superior. This caused a deal of friction because the regular amateurs perceived; whether real or not; that the students enjoyed some unfair advantage.Take a look at a few of the NFTS short films and contemplate their impact on the BIAFF. Interestingly we had the same problem later when we separated off the students into their own section and began to enjoy increased entries from outside the USA in the general category; as the "foreigners" began to win the major prizes (and a number of them write to this forum) there was a deal of muttering about professional foreigners masquerading as amateurs and winning everything. It's all about perceived fairness; a level playing field so that no one has an unfair advantage; real or imagined.

ned c